Paris hotels lose ground in a day as Airbnb bookings fall after riots
PARIS — Airbnb bookings in Paris fell after the October riots, Bloomberg reported on 2 November. Hotels also lost momentum, although they still had more rooms booked for late October than at the same point a year earlier. For stays from 20 to 25 October, their lead over 2025 shrank from 3.5 percentage points to 1.9 points in a single day, according to MKG Consulting.
How quickly the unrest reached hotels
MKG recorded the change between 19 and 20 October, shortly after demonstrations over the cost of living on 17 October were followed by looting and damage to businesses in Paris. The sharpest evidence concerned rooms due to be occupied within days, leaving hotels little time to replace a cancelled reservation. Visitors already in the city also faced disruption when the Louvre closed on 19 October after students gathered at its entrance.
Didier Arino, director of French tourism consultancy Protourisme, estimated that one day of rioting prompted cancellations equivalent to about 1% of the month’s bookings in Paris. He said travellers coming from farther away were particularly sensitive to security concerns. That leaves accommodation providers exposed to decisions made well beyond France, sometimes months before a guest is due to arrive.
Some visitors postpone while others keep their plans
Travel advisers interviewed by Travel Weekly on 28 October described different responses to the same scenes. Some clients postponed or cancelled trips scheduled as far ahead as next summer. Others contacted their advisers for reassurance and kept their reservations. Adviser Heather Christopher said clients due in Paris on 1 November had raised concerns but were still planning to travel.
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